KISS performed its first concert on Jan. 30, 1973, at the Popcorn Club – later renamed the Conventry Club – in Queens, N.Y.
KISS will bring its “End of the Road” tour to Hersheypark Stadium on Aug. 21. Prior to Hershey, the band will perform March 29 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia and on March 30 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.
KISS started as Wicked Lester in 1972 with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. Simmons and Stanley left the band and added drummer Peter Criss and guitarist Ace Frehley. Shortly after adding Frehley, the band changed its name to KISS.
According to kissonline.com, Gene Simmons set his hair on fire the first time he added his fire-breathing stunt on Dec. 31, 1973, at the Academy of Music in New York.
KISS released its first album on Feb. 21, 1974, and its second album, “Hotter than Hell,” in October of the same year. While album sales were slow, the band’s “live show stars to create a buzz.”
Criss left the group in May 1980. He was replaced by Eric Carr. Carr died in 1991 and was replaced by Eric Singer. In October 1982, Frehley left the group and is replaced by Vinnie Vincent until 1984 when Bruce Kulick joined.
In February of 1996, the four original members made a surprise appearance at the Grammy Awards. Later that year, KISS announced a reunion tour. The four original members performed together in makeup on June 15, 1996, for the first time in 17 years.
On Jan. 31, 1999, KISS performed at the Super Bowl. The same year, they got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The KISS farewell tour – which was followed by several other tours - started in 2000. In 2001 Criss again left the group and was replaced by Singer.
In 2012, the band released its 20th album.